1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a traffic signalling apparatus for self-illuminating displays wherein LEDs which are used to present various displays, are secured in a tubular holding device to ensure good heat discharge therethrough.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Incandescent lamps or halogen lamps are currently used for traffic signalling apparatuses with self-illuminating displays such as light signal apparatuses at intersections or alternating traffic signs. EP 0 467 034 teaches a display apparatus for an alternating traffic sign wherein arbitrary displays are presented which can be composed of, for example, at least one unalterable display part and one arbitrarily selectable display part. For each unalterable display part, separate illuminable bundles of light-conducting fibers are provided whose free ends are arranged in a display panel in distributed fashion corresponding to the allocated unalterable display part. The arbitrarily selectable display part can be displayed by means of a processor-controlled matrix field of display elements, wherein each display element is implemented by means of an illuminated light-conducting fiber. The illuminated light-conducting fibers are therein illuminated by halogen lamps. The short lifetime of halogen lamps on the one hand and their high energy consumption on the other are disadvantages of this method.
EP 0 694 894 teaches a signal lamp which is at least partially provided with light-emitting diodes which are mounted inside the signal lamp so as to be tiltable from a first emission direction to at least one second emission direction and which can be positioned by groups by means of adjusting disks. The holding device for such apparatus is, nevertheless, very complicated and not suitable for a simple assembly.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to propose a traffic signalling apparatus which includes a more robust construction and has a longer lifetime than the known signalling devices.